BUS RIDERS UNION PARTY TO HONOR OUR COMMUNITY ALLIES IN THE STRUGGLE TO NOT CUT BUS ROUTES!
Casa Maria
May 15, 2014
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5 min read“NOW IS NOT THE TIME”..Paul Cunningham by Jimmy Ojeda, On Monday May 12th in a room packed with bus riders, the Transit Task Force voted 5-2 to recommend to the Mayor and Council that there be no service cuts to Sun-Tran at this time. Councilwoman Uhlich had suggested to the Bus Riders Union that this was the preferred mode of informing the City Manager and the City Council to not balance their budget on the backs of bus riders, in this, the eight poorest city in the U.S. The bus riders echoed the theme of Councilman Cunningham “Now is not
2 min readBrian is the one in the middle, Msgr. Cahalane is to the left, and Msgr. O’Keefe is on the right by Brian Flagg, Yesterday I had the privilege of being on hate radio, KNST, the early morning show hosted by Garret. Later on in the day they give you Rush Limbaugh. I really mean this because it was an opportunity to speak not to the choir! Like you would expect, I was talking about federal regulation that grew out of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that protect low income and minority bus riders from being discriminated against when
3 min readHallelujah! The City’s Transit Task Force has actually stood up to staff in defense of bus riders! Historically the Task Force has operated as rubber-stamp for the staff against bus riders. The good thing has been that they haven’t had much influence with members of the Mayor and Council. Councilwoman Uhlichs’ recent appointment of Suzanne Shaffer to the task force seems to have been a positive influence. Thanks to Gene Caywood, chair of the Task Force, for getting the following letter to the Mayor and Council before today’s May 6th Council meeting: Transit Task Force City of Tucson May
< 1 min readThe Tucson Bus Riders Union is having a News Conference on Day: May 5th, Monday Time: 11:30 A.M. Place: In front of City Hall To decry service cuts to 11 Sun Tran routes and to point out how these cuts will seriously impact minority and low-income residents of Tucson. The Council will consider this issue at their May 6th meeting. For more information contact:Cesar Aguirre (520) 878-3044 Mark Blake (480) 482-9067 HELP DEFEND BUS RIDERS Please join the Bus Riders Union for the PUBLIC HEARING on the CITY BUDGET Tuesday May 6th, 5p.m. at City Hall (255 W. Alameda).
2 min readThe Sun Tran bureaucrats plan to issue a report to the Mayor and Council on May 6th that says that proposed service cuts to 12 of the Sun Tran fixed routes will not have a “disparate impact” on low income and minority riders. To make matters worse, the majority of the services being cut are on the South and West sides. Their own numbers tell the story. For all the fixed routes (not the express routes) the ridership is 62% minority and 68% low income. How much higher would these numbers be for ridership in Wards 1 and 5, the Westside
2 min readby Cesar Aguirre Thanks to the Tucson Bus Riders Union there will be no fare increase, but the City is looking at other ways to balance their budget on the backs of poor bus riders. In order to keep our city’s transit system strong the City must increase ridership. That means that they can’t cut routes or reduce service because doing so would decrease ridership. Right now the City is considering cutting, or reducing service to about a dozen or so routes, so we, the BRU, are on those routes informing riders of the changes and signing them up for the union. In
2 min readby Brian Flagg, I feel bad because really and truly I ‘m not holy enough. We accomplish much here at the Casa Maria Catholic Worker House. Up to 600 single bag lunches and 200 family food bags go out the door here every single day except for Thanksgiving and Christmas. And the organizing that we have been doing thru the Bus Riders Union just might keep fares as they are and routes intact – the organizing is bearing some fruit. I guess I’m feeling that all this service/activism can lead me to be a crass workaholic, just like some corporate
2 min readThanks to all the clergy who spoke at the City Council meeting last night (Fr. Harry Ledwith, Rev. Beth Rambikur, Msgr. Tom Cahalane and Rev. Delle McCormick) in behalf of the City not raising bus fares. Their exhortation to the Council to not balance their budget on the backs of poor people was loud and clear. Thanks also to the 45 other religious leaders who signed a letter to the Council. Special thanks to Pima County Interfaith Council for all their hard work in bringing together the religious leaders of Tucson to stand in solidarity with bus riders. Here are some pictures
< 1 min readThe dog and cat shot clinic that happens twice a year here by AWASA (Animal Welfare Alliance of Southern Arizona) is a big deal for those who eat here. Even people who live in the barrio and don’t eat here bring their dogs and cats. A big thank you to Bonnie Kay who gets veterinarians and students from Pima Medical Institute to staff the clinic.
Fighting for Justice, Liberty, & Peace in Barrio Libre